EFFECTS OF A SEASON OF YOUTH FOOTBALL ON STATIC POSTURAL CONTROL

Concussions occur in youth football with lower frequency than observed at higher levels of play, though the effect of repetitive subconcussive head impacts resulting from participation in youth football is unknown at this point. One measure shown to be affected by concussions is athlete postural control. The objective of this study was to compare performance on the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) and a force plate protocol at two time points within a cohort of healthy youth football players and healthy non-contact youth track or baseball athletes. In absence of a clinically-diagnosed concussion, the hypothesis was tested that a season of youth football would affect measures of static postural control and stability. Between time points, there were no significant differences observed between either BESS scores or force plate metrics. Between athlete groups, there were no significant differences observed for either the BESS or the force plate protocol. Particularly for pediatric males, postural control is still developing and current assessments may not be sensitive enough to detect changes. Continued research is necessary to determine what postural control testing may be most viable for use within an active, pediatric population.